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Lesson 5Creating and maintaining the tnsnames.ora File
ObjectiveDevelop a Strategy to create, test, and maintain the tnsnames.ora File

Configure tnsnames.ora File

Creating and Maintaining tnsnames.ora File

Earlier in this course, you saw how the Oracle Net Services Assistant can be used to maintain listener.ora files on the server. However, you may not always want to use the Oracle Net Services Assistant on a Windows computer, because you may want to use a standard set of listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files. If you allow the use of Oracle Net Services Assistant on a Windows computer, then the Oracle DBA cannot ensure that the tnsnames.ora files are consistent on all Oracle8 clients.
It is far easier to have the DBA create, test, and maintain a master copy of the tnsnames.ora file. The master tnsnames.ora file can then be distributed to PC clients as needed. And you can use Oracle Net Services Assistant to maintain the sqlnet.ora file.
In the next lesson you will learn how to edit and distribute the tnsnames.ora file on a network.

Using Oracle Net Configuration Assistant to Configure Network Components

Oracle Net Configuration Assistant configures basic network components during installation, including:
  1. Listener names and protocol addresses
  2. Naming methods the client uses to resolve connect identifiers to connect descriptors
  3. Net service names in a tnsnames.ora file
  4. Directory server usage
Oracle Net Configuration Assistant runs automatically during software installation, as described in the Oracle Database installation guide. It can also be run after installation in standalone mode to configure naming methods, the listener, network service names in the tnsnames.ora file, and directory server usage.
To start Oracle Net Configuration Assistant do the following:
  1. On Linux and UNIX, run netca from the ORACLE_HOME/bin directory.
  2. On Microsoft Windows, select Programs from the Start menu, and then select Oracle - HOME_NAME. Next, select Configuration and Migration Tools, and then Oracle Net Configuration Assistant.
Table 6-5 describes the configuration options on the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant Welcome page:
Table 6-5: Oracle Net Configuration Assistant
Table 6-5: Oracle Net Configuration Assistant

Windows Client Architecture - Quiz

Before moving on to the next lesson, click the Quiz link below to test your mastery of PC client architecture.
Windows Client Architecture - Quiz